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Does Facebook's purchase of Instagram ensure the photo app will come to Windows Phone now?

Does Facebook's purchase of Instagram mean there's a chance (after all) that it will be coming to investment partner Microsoft's smartphones?
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Instagram is one of those apps that Microsoft's smartphone team seemingly had written off as likely to come to the Windows Phone platform.

In a December 2011 slide deck where the Windows Phone marketing talked about "ring fencing" apps that weren't on the Windows Phone platform -- and backing other comparable apps in their stead -- Instagram was one of those cited.

(Two former Softies developed an Instagram-like app known as Bubblegum a while back, but I've sadly never seen MIcrosoft do a whole lot to promote it. And there are a few other Instagram clones, like InstaCam, in the Windows Phone Marketplace, as well)

With the announcement on April 9 that Facebook intends to buy Instagram for $1 billion, maybe there's renewed hope for Instagram on Windows Phone after all.

Here's the thinking from some Windows Phone backers (that I saw via Twitter): Microsoft owns a 1.6 percent stake in Facebook. Facebook now owns Instagram. So maybe Microsoft can put (a little/a lot) of pressure on Facebook to get Instagram ported to Windows Phone. The photo sharing/filtering app is currently available for iPhone and, recently (and to the chagrin of a number of Apple users), Android phones.

Hmm. Maybe...

Now Microsoft just needs Facebook to buy Zynga, Pandora, Urbanspoon, and a couple hundred more developers who are dragging their feet over porting to Windows Phone....

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